Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Kenya Pipeline Explosion

On Monday, September 12, 2011, a pipeline in Nairobi, Kenya was punctured, then exploded into a huge fire that flattened homes and killed a number of people. The fire broke out around 10 a.m. from what was believed to be a group of people who were siphoning fueld from the pipeline while it was experiencing a mechanism failure that allowed fuel to spill into a drainage ditch where it later ignited. However, the precise cause of the accident is still unknown. Reports of bodies reducing to dust and homes being flattened were among the many things that forced the Kenyan Red Cross to force a massive evacuation of the surrounding area. At least 75 people have already been confirmed dead, and Red Cross officials expect the death toll to rise. A total of 118 people were admitted to the local Nairobi hospital where many burn victims were in need of blood transfusions from severe burns. Sources say that the explosion was the worst energy-related disaster in Kenya's history.

-Justin Mably, adapted from CNN.com
The Cardinal

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